Strangers in Fiction
by Ambrosia29
Summary: As Mouse lays dying, he meets a Woman in Red, who pushes him down his own rabbit hole. When they get to the other side, Mouse learns that things are far more complicated - and insane - than he'd ever known the Matrix to be. Ever seen a film and wanted to save someone? This is what "Strangers in Fiction"explores. Enjoy the ride!
1. The Woman in Red

A/N: this is my very first fanfiction written, if not published. Hope you all enjoy! This is rated 'M' for mature themes.

Strangers in Fiction

"Down the Rabbit Hole"

Mouse looked at the magazine pinup, taking in the luscious beauty before his eyes. The "Woman in Red." She had cherry lips and clothes, what clothes she had on. Her blonde hair was swept from her flirtatious dark eyes and strong eyebrows. Lace held the gorgeous sweep of hypnotic breasts, still on the page when he imagined them heaving with lustful breaths as she moaned. Her sweet red heels with spikes that stabbed desire into his loins capped those shapely legs which flowed up the page and went on forever.

As much as he desired her, every time they met in a loaded program, he left satisfied physically and mentally, but there was one thing none of his programming could fulfil, no matter how hard he tried to fill in every detail and even attempts to create pseudo-A.I. He always left feeling hollow inside. Physically, he left exhausted and sated. Mentally, he'd enjoyed their exertions and improvised pleasures. Emotionally…he was bereft. He wasn't looking for a commitment or a real girlfriend either. Too complicated. No woman on board the ship would have him, a lothario-programmer.

Back in Zion…well, he was hardly ever in Zion and he had no interest in long-distance or even on-again-off-again relationships. Sure, there were women who'd share his bed but he always felt like he was settling.

He lounged against the crate, waiting for Morpheus, Neo and the others to return from their visit to the Oracle. Neo…was he really the one, like Morpheus thought? Hard to say. He grinned, remembering the thrill of anticipation watching him in the jump program the other day. Everyone was disappointed he hadn't made it, especially Mouse. He'd have bet money on Neo, he'd been so sure he would've made the jump. He was already so fast, his mind working around the limits of the Matrix even before he consciously did so.

The Oracle was the one Morpheus took everyone to see after they'd been unplugged. When she'd met Mouse, she'd smiled at him like his grandmother and took him into a hug. Taken aback and startled by the affection, he'd hugged her back, reminded of his own grandmother. His or not, he'd enjoyed the hug, brows furrowed in mild confusion. She smiled when she pulled away and he worried when he saw her wipe a tear away from her eyes. She'd said it was just a little dust and he took her at her word. She looked into his eyes, somewhat sadly, then deeper. She proclaimed…well it made no sense to him then. Thoroughly confused and more than a little depressed, Mouse left, cookie in hand. He'd decided to ignore her dire words, instead throwing himself into his hobbies when not working his duties for Morpheus.

Namely, the "Woman in Red" and other beauties he devised. He preferred blondes, like the one on the page before him. It's not that he disrespected women so much that he respected his desires. A hedonist through-and-through. He'd seen what happened to those who denied themselves, like Cypher. Damn uptight dude couldn't keep his thoughts off Trinity half the time, though she never seemed to look at any of the crew that way.

Mouse took a deep breath and expelled his thoughts of the others along with it, refocusing on the page, taking the time to appreciate her luscious curves. He drew in a different kind of breath and suddenly wished that Tank and Dozer weren't keeping an eye on the feed.

A strange tingling crept across his skin and for a moment he thought it was the erection threatening from the base of his spine when his phone rang. Shit! He whipped it out, flicking it open as he pulled it to his ear.

"It's a trap, get out!" said Dozer's frantic voice. Adrenaline surged, pumping through his mind and firing his reflexes. He sprang up from his seat and went straight to the window, pulling the curtains – which were bricked over.

"Oh, no," he breathed.

Panic set in. No one who faced an Agent had lived and while he would prefer to run, he felt the rock in his gut telling him running wouldn't be an option this time.

Option two: go down fighting. He opened the largest crate which held the big guns, loading and readying both automatics in either hand, turning to fire into the door and officers with a roar of protest. He would live. Live!

The door burst open just as he pulled the triggers, ratcheting guns blazing in his hands and deafening him at the same time. He didn't care. He heard and felt nothing, his entire existence narrowed to this single moment, as though he had all the time in the world to aim, fire.

His first few bullets tore through the men at the fore, but as they fell he saw – too late – the men behind them, firing at will. He felt no impact, registering the way his boy jerked to one side, having little to do with the weapons he wielded. Still he fired as pain blossomed finally in his chest, shoulders and stomach. Determined not to go down without taking more with him, he kept firing as he distantly registered the impact of the wall behind him against his back and the hard slide down the rough surface before impacting on the floor.

For a moment the room was still. Quiet. He saw the men's lips moving but heard as though from a distance. They seemed to be disinterested in him, most of the men moving up the stairs outside the room while three of them swept into the room, looking for the others. He coughed, coppery warmth filling his senses.

Mouse knew he was dying. His hazel eyes stared to the front, registering the Woman in Red with a smile on his matching crimson lips. How ironic, he thought. Dying, I finally match the woman of my dreams.

A flash caught his attention in the doorway and one of the three guards went down, arching his back as he fell. When he landed he ceased to move. Though he found he could no longer move even his eyes and his vision began to darken, it narrowed on what looked like a dream.

A woman with a berretta in either hand strode into the room as though in slow motion. He had all the time in the world to take her in, the dark hair which flowed down her back in thick waves. Her features were beautiful, strong arching brows, eyes hidden behind round violet glasses and thick classic lips in burgundy lipstick. Her pale neck swept down in clean lines to, of all things, a cherry-red lace dress. It hugged her full breasts and swept down her shapely torso and flared around hips he would love to sink his hands into if he weren't bleeding out on the floor. The hem of her dress was flying in gorgeous waves of intricate scarlet lace over thigh-high boots in black leather, matching the black trench coat fanning around the rest of her.

The muzzles of her twin guns flashed again, taking down the man across the room and nearest Mouse's still form. Without looking at him, she shifted her left arm to point the gun across her body and shot the last man standing to her far right.

Alone in the room, she dropped her guns and strode to Mouse's still form. "Mouse…Mouse!" she whispered urgently, lifting her hand to thumb open one of his eyelids. His lips twitched into a semblance of a smile but he otherwise didn't move.

 _I have got to be dreaming_ , he thought to himself. The Woman in Red lifted her hand and stared at it, furrowing her brow. Grunting softly, as if in pain, her hand shifted in appearance, looking like the green-on-black Code with which they 'saw' the Matrix feed when viewing from the ship's monitors.

Disbelieving what he saw, he marveled still as she swept her hand through his body, causing no small amount of pain, drawing out each bullet, the one in his lungs the last. He coughed suddenly, surprised beyond belief as he did so. _Why am I breathing_?

He looked up at the beauty before him, large eyes wider and disbelieving. He continued to cough helplessly, trying to rid himself of flooding blood and the awful alien sensation of a hand in his lung. She shifted her position, drawing him into a nearly-sitting position and cradling his head while he coughed, turning him to his side as he emptied his lungs as though they were the contents of his stomach.

Giving a couple coughs, he asked, panic in his voice and not far from his actions, "How the fuck did you do that?" He braced himself on the floor, coughing up more blood and gasping for air besides.

She shifted to sit on her heels beside him, one hand on his arm. "I saw the sequel, there's no time to explain. Come with me or this is where your story ends." She stood, pulling him up with her.

"The Agents –

"No time, they'll miss us if we're quick. Come with me if you want to _live_."

Bewildered and with no small amount of concern for his friends –his family – followed the strange woman.

He heard a bellow as he entered the stairway after her, coming from somewhere upstairs. "Morpheus," he breathed, moving to start up the stairs. The woman grabbed his arm and spun him back to face her, grabbing him by both shoulders.

"Trust me, he'll be fine," she said desperately, tugging him to follow. "Let's _go_ , we're running out of time!" She dragged him into the next room across from the hall.

This room was just as dingy as the others but held one big difference: a large hole in the center of the room which seemed to suck the existence of the floor into itself. There was a wind which suddenly swept through his hair and clothing as he stepped over the threshold. He looked at the mysterious woman-in-red, watching the wind whip her hair, coat and dress around.

"What is this?" he yelled, a hint of fear making his voice tight.

She smiled and shouted over the wind, "Let's just say it's time to 'follow the white rabbit' and leave the Matrix behind." He looked at her incredulously.

"Are you from Zion?" He cocked his head to one side, holding his glasses in place when they threatened to blow off his face.

"No! Jump!" He looked in fear, hesitant to follow the strange woman, even if she did save his life. As he was looking over the edge, he felt an impact between his shoulders and was airborne.

The wind in the hole shrieked in his ears as he fell down into it, all light suddenly lost, nothing but his screams of terror and the wind shrieking all around him in the darkness. There was no light, only a swirl of inky purple-black.

Just as fear abated and he began to wonder if he'd _really_ died in that room and this was hell, he knew nothing more.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the tumble down the rabbit hole! Let me know, I love reading reviews. This is the second (third?) draft of this particular chapter. Thank you for the support!


	2. Somewhere in a Blue Lagoon

A/N: Hello everybody! Welcome to chapter two. I know, I said I'd update every two weeks and here is the next one earlier than expected but…I got excited and had to share the next piece. This is actually (ahem) toned down from the original version, which is available on a different website. This chapter is rated M for…well, you'll find out. I do not own the scenery or the character of Mouse. Nor do I make money off of this story.

Chapter 2: Somewhere in a Blue Lagoon

Mouse opened his eyes. He looked up into a blue sky so crystal clear he thought he must be in a program. Looking around, he saw white sandy beach and clear aqua waters, the waves lapping the shore in a susurrus of gentle sound. It was idyllic. He sighed, wondering what new trick of the Agents this might be.

"Good, you're awake," said the voice of an angel. He looked down toward his feet. Apparently he was lying flat on his back in the gently warming sunlight. Standing over him was the woman in red-lace-and-leather, hands casually hanging by her side and a small smile on her lips.

"Who are you?" he blurted. He thought back on his last remembered moments with no small amount of wonder, incredulity and fear.

The woman's smile widened. "My name is Hildr Violetta Faye. You can call me 'Violetta.'" She reached a hand out toward him and he grasped it, standing, somehow without pain.

"Are you some kind of program?" He'd heard rumor of strange programs doing what they oughtn't. She shook her head.

"No. I'm…you might say I'm a 'figment.'"

"What does that mean?"

"I am the sum of parts which make up a whole person. 'Hildr,' 'Violetta' and 'Faye' are all from different places and people, but together they make up a vision of a single person in a very abstract way."

"So you are a program?"

"No."

"Well then, what are you?"

She opened her mouth – God but he wanted to kiss it – then closed it again, lost for words. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry; I can't explain it to you."

"Ok then, what happened…back there?"

"You died." He blinked, looking from one side to the other and scratching the back of his head, a doubtful sneer on his face.

"You know," he said conspiratorially, "I'm almost about to believe you but then I realize I can feel myself still standing here. I'm wearing this fucking monkey-suit and hell," his voice grew agitated and increasingly angry, "I have shades on my head in the middle of a fucking paradise island and the only reason I don't believe you is that if I were dead I'd be fucking some angels by now!" He glared at her, breathing heavy.

She took a step back, holding her hands out to either side. "Well, what else makes sense? Am I an Agent of some kind? I doubt the machines have enough imagination to come up with me! I know, maybe I'm 'The One' like Neo!"

He stepped back, confusion on his face. "How do you know about that?"

"Because," she took a deep breath, "You're never going to believe this; I saw it on a movie."

"A…movie?"

"Yeah. A movie. And in it, you died." She said harshly, "There was a sequel. You weren't in it."

Hs memory triggered, he took a sharp breath. "That's right, you said you'd 'seen it in a move' when I asked how you…saved…me." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. You saved me, you did, and I've been a jerk, but I gotta get back to the _Nebuchadnezzar_." He tipped his hat to her.

"Thanks." He turned and started walking down the beach, trying to absorb everything that happened. Feeling the sand beneath his shoes – still polished but developing a scuff not seen inside the Matrix – he began to believe what Violetta told him.

He turned around. The brunette woman-in-a-red-dress-and-trench coat was still standing on the beach, squinting behind her purple round glasses, watching him. He looked around, first at the ocean and then at the palm forest further inland. Without anywhere else to go, he walked back toward the most intriguing thing in sight.

"I must be insane," he mumbled to himself, rubbing his hand over his mouth. Turning to face the slightly shorter woman, he continued, "Tell me what's going on." She took a steadying breath and nodded, hooking her arm through his and walking them down the beach in the opposite direction.

"Alright. You died in 'The Matrix'" he thought it odd that she said it with emphasis, as though she weren't talking about the same Matrix he usually did, "and that was the end of you. I saw the sequel and Trinity was shot. Neo saved her by, well, pulling the bullet out of her chest like he was scooping up a ball of ice cream." She glanced at his face, "Sorry. They're…they're ok. Mostly. I didn't get a chance to see the third movie."

"So, my life has been in a movie?"

"As far as I could tell, you…well you ARE the movie. Things shouldn't exist outside the story."

"But I'm here now."

"Yeah, because I…"

"You what?"

"I changed things."

He was quiet for a moment, pondering this strange statement.

"So _are_ you 'The One?' Like Neo?" She shook her head in denial.

"Not like Neo, no. He really _is_ 'The One' by the way, Morpheus was right about that. I'm not only able to change 'The Matrix' as I see fit but other things as well. I just need to…focus." His brows furrowed together and he gave her a perplexed look.

"Take this hat, for example." She pointed to the fedora on her head. "I got it from a friend while I was wandering around one day. He made it for me, special. It's been allowing me to jump to different worlds, different stories."

"Different stories?"

"Yeah. See, where I come from, you're a character in a movie, played by an actor. That's where you get your slick looks."

He chuckled, "I thought I got it from my Dad."

Violetta and Mouse turned the corner of the islands beach as they rounded one side and continued on. As they walked, Violetta described how she'd been wandering through the mind of a writer and realized she had a gift. Mouse couldn't deny the very situation he was in, nor wake up if this was a dream or a program and his cell phone didn't reach Dozer, Tank or any of the Operators he knew of. The damn thing didn't make any sound other than static.

The beautiful, strange woman patted his shoulder, asking him if he wanted a drink and guided him toward the forest of palms. To his surprise a couple seats, a decanter on ice and a small table sat nestled in the shade.

He sat down, bemused at the style, so like the setup Morpheus chose when talking to new recruits just before he worked to get them unplugged. Taking a glass in his hand, he thanked the woman as she poured his drink. It was crisp and slightly fruity, some type of wine. He took a sip and groaned at the sensation of cool liquid finer than anything he'd had in or outside the Matrix in his life. He'd had beers and some bourbon, sure, but the stuff in the Matrix was always somehow less satisfying. It served its purpose but as he never _actually_ got to taste the food he _thought_ he was eating, it made sense to him that his memory of foods was slightly dulled.

"Hope you don't mind the wine; I only had enough...'oomph' for lack of a better term, to get one type of liquor here."

"It's alright, better than what I'd been drinking. Dozer makes some strong alcohol but damn, it's never good enough to really enjoy…unless getting drunk is what you call enjoyment. I always preferred…other pursuits."

Violetta smiled at him, taking off her purple circular sunglasses and smiling at him while she toyed with them. "I know," she said with a knowing smile. He looked at her steadily, one eyebrow slowly lifting.

"And how would you know…?"

She waved a hand in front of her face, chuckling and blushing slightly. "I'm getting kind of tired of saying 'I saw the movie' now."

"Wait, so you know about –

"Why do you think I decided to wear the dress?"

He looked at her, dumbfounded and then it was his turn to blush. As unapologetic as he was under most circumstances, here was the first real – as far as he could tell – woman he'd been near in months whom he might have a chance with and not only was she privy to his tastes, she'd used her knowledge to get close to him and bring him here. He looked to one side, then cleared his throat and took another drink.

"Is there…any other reason, you tried to get my attention?"

She'd wondered when he'd get around to the topic. Given his penchant for sexual exploits and masturbation via computer program – she'd imagined there wasn't a better way to do it, when you could program whatever partner you wanted as long as you were okay they weren't real – she understood she was the first real woman he'd been in contact with in some time.

"Do you…want there to be?"

His blush deepened and his throat went dry, disbelieving as she stood from her chair and walked around the small table to stand before him.

"Consider this a freebie."

He tipped his glass and let it fall to the sand beneath him as she cupped his face in her hands, straddling his hips to sit above him in the chair.

Up close, her eyes were a vivid blue-violet, her dark hair smelled of incense and autumn. She smiled through thick dark lases which swept her cheeks as she blinked. He traced her strong brow tenderly with the tip of his thumb, still unable to believe this dark beauty in red was before him.

She tilted his head back and kissed him deeply, invading his senses with her soft lips and tongue on his. The kiss was passionate; burning with a slow fire which stoked the heat in his loins in ways the programs he made hadn't been able to in years. Her tongue glided along his, probing, tasting and teasing. She was warm. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, the pleasure making him moan into her mouth as her tongue did a clever slide along the roof of his mouth, lightly stroking his palette.

He rocked against her, arms circling her waist, hands fervently stroking her back to clutch her shoulders and press her body more fully against his own. She moaned at the contact, threading her fingers through his hair, clutching a hard handful and levering his head further back than he'd thought possible. He went limp in her arms, content to feel her body, her kiss and the sweet tug of her hands in his hair rendering him immobile.

She shifted to her knees, arching herself over him and kissing him with all the passion she held inside, with all the passion he deserved in a lover.

Slowly, she withdrew her lips from his and looked into his dark hazel eyes, lips tingling fiercely and swollen from their fervent contact. Her breath was steady. He blinked a couple times, trying to wake from his dazed state, smiling a half-smile and looking for the entire world like a sly young cat who stole his first taste of cream.

Certain he was steady, she slowly extricated herself from his arms, smoothing out her dress as she stepped back to her chair and taking her seat. She smiled wryly at him, her cheeks as flushed as his felt they must be.

"What was that for?" he asked, a hint of dazed longing in his voice.

"Must be because I like you…and because I'm the first real woman you'd been around for a while. You just died. It'll help you stay focused. Take your pick."

He smiled at her, his gaze trying for charming…and not missing the mark too terribly. "What now?" he asked.

"Now? Well, now we go and get some more recruits."

"From the Matrix, like me?"

"Not exactly. I had something more…feudal in mind."

A/N: End Chapter. I hope you all enjoyed! At the moment I know whose next on the "rescue" list and this does have an actual plot to it, just taking a while to get it started. Every so often I'll post to this story and have questions for _you_ dear reader about possible scenery and such in movies you've seen. Reviews welcome!


	3. Rescue at Sanshuu Pass

A/N: I do not own 'The Matrix' or 'Ambush: Incident at Blood Pass.' I gain no profit from writing these stories. But the movies are awesome! Hope you're all enjoying the show!

Chapter Three: Rescue at Sanshuu Pass

Mouse followed Violetta into the tropical forest away from the beach, pausing to look back at the idyllic scene one more time. The lagoon was one of the most beautiful scenes he'd seen outside of a picture, marred only by the strange appearance of the chairs and table the woman had brought there. He breathed in the salt-air deeply and closed his eyes, savoring the warm sun on his face.

"You ready?" came Violetta's soft voice behind him. He sighed and nodded, turning his back and following without looking back.

"Ready for what?"

He moved up beside her and noticed she was standing in front of small pool. She knelt down and took off her hat, giving a flick of her wrist to set it spinning it on its brim in her palm. After a moment she dropped it into the water and to his surprise, it never hit the surface.

The hat continued to spin, hovering just over the surface of the crystal pool. In the space of seconds, it widened, the hat's insides opening up into a great black maw which began to emit and retract air…he realized that the 'brim' of the hat had begun to blend in with their surroundings.

"What is this?" he hollered over the gale.

Violetta smiled at him and held out her hand. "It's our ride to the next world."

Filled with apprehension and reminded of their escape from the Matrix, Mouse took her hand, grimaced and kept his eyes on her as they jumped. As they sailed through the air and the howling wind whipped the warmth from his clothes, everything went dark until Mouse knew no more.

"Mouse," came a distant voice, somehow familiar...and urgent. "Mouse!" He shifted and raised his hand, blocking out the sun's rays. Though familiar, his name sounded really odd. It was being pronounced 'Ma-O-suu' by its speaker.

"What?" he asked irritated.

That same voice spoke rapid-fire Japanese just above him. He looked up. Violetta stood over him, holding out her hand. She spoke again and as he watched her, it sounded like Japanese but the sounds didn't match the movements of her mouth. "Come on, we've got to get ready," appeared in small, clear words beneath her chin.

"What the hell is going on here?" he asked. She glanced down at his throat and back at him.

She replied and simultaneously, the word "Subtitles," appeared beneath her face. He blinked and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Okay, that is the weirdest thing I've ever seen and I've seen some pretty weird shit." Violetta smiled.

"I expected something weird, like a sudden understanding of Japanese," she said, "but this is kinda odd, I agree." She helped him up and Mouse looked around, registering his surroundings. It sure was cold.

The mountains rose and fell around them, three peaks prominent in the background. Though a layer of snow covered everything but the road next to them, the skies were clear. They were several yards from the road winding through the pass and several yards away, he could see a small structure at the roadside. It appeared at first to be a single building, though after holding up his hand to stave off the glare from the sun on snow, he noticed a rooftop in the trees just beyond a portion of slope.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Japan in the Tokugawa Era, Sanshuu Pass. We're here to get a guy named 'Gentetsu.' He's a doctor, outlaw and a great swordsman."

"Is he in there?" Mouse asked, gesturing to the buildings by the road.

"Yes," Violetta replied standing and brushing snow off of her kimono, "he is. But we won't be able to get him until later. We have to wait."

"For what?"

"For him to jump down the mountain, there." She pointed, indicating a conveniently cleared portion of the mountainside which ran along the edge of the road closer to where they now stood.

"How do you know he'll do that?"

"Trust me" she said sadly, "He will." He glanced at her and followed as she walked down the side of the mountain and to the structure below.

He admired the view from behind, her figure hidden beneath the layers of clothes she now wore, but it was still flattering. Japanese designs have the ability to be both functional and beautiful. She wore a kimono which was deep mauve and a thick vest over it which was dark blue. She settled a hat on her head, made of woven straw, angled to hide her eyes and European features.

Glancing down, he realized he was wearing thick brown hakama and a deep gray haori over an olive kimono. Noting a weight at his side, he felt around and pulled out a katana tucked into his belt. Unsheathing it, he smirked to note the mouse-like touch to the kabuki mask on the sheath.

Violetta spoke urgently and he looked up to see, "Hurry, someone's coming!" across her bosom. I need to pay attention, he thought to himself. They hurriedly snuck around the back of the teahouse to the structure behind, hiding behind that at Violetta's gesture.

"They're going to come out the back of the teahouse and into this building. We can't be inside when they go in."

They watched as a pair of rough-looking men came down the road from the opposite direction and went into the teahouse. "It's now or never," said Violetta. She ran around the side of the building and slipped inside. Mouse, having done so dozens of times for the crew of Nebuchadnezzar, stood guard to watch.

Moments later, she returned, holding a coil of hempen rope, a bundle that looked like netting and a large flask. He looked at the flask quizzically. "Medicine." Puzzled by her choice of equipment, he followed her back to the area they had emerged from.

"What now?"

"We climb." And so they did. They climbed down the mountain, trying to keep quiet and thankful for the muffling quality snow had on sounds as they did so. It was hard work, their hands freezing in the cold and scraped from climbing down bare rock without the benefit of the rope she'd brought.

"It's for Gentetsu," she said, looking at him from below. Her kimono shifted, revealing the bright red undergarment at her collar and she shivered. "I have an idea but I'll need your help setting it up. We have to hurry!"

When they reached a portion of the mountain which sloped slightly – before a steep drop-off – they strung the rope between two trees, praying all the while that they would hold, being thinner on the mountainside. Attached was the netting, anchored at the base of the trees and rigged to rise when they pulled on the rope to catch the predictably-falling man.

Their work finished, they had nothing left to do but wait and hope they didn't freeze in the meantime. They hid in a stand of scraggly trees and brush, which afforded them some small protection from the frigid air but they were soon shivering in spite of their vigorous work.

Mouse had his hands tucked into this sleeves, which were warmer than he'd expected. He sat on his heels to both rest and keep himself off the snow. Violetta hadn't done the same, having sat on the ground next to him after brushing some snow off a rock. She shivered and Mouse's eyes softened.

"Hey," he said gently, "Not trying anything funny." He held out his hand to her. "We're both cold. C'mere." She took his hand and he helped her up, pulling her into his arms and leaning back against the tree behind him. She shivered again as she slid her arms up his sleeves, reminded afresh of just how chilled she was. Though he himself felt cold, she found him welcome warmth. Her cold hands slid up his arms and around his shoulders, his own sliding along hers as they held each other close. He breathed in the scent of her hair when she tucked her head into his shoulder and breathed on his neck. Adjusting after a moment, he moved her hat and balanced it against the tree and themselves to create a windbreak for their heads at least. He shivered slightly, glad to retreat back to her warmth.

Another few minutes went by and he found himself both pleased and uncertain to find himself touching her bare skin. It was for warmth, he reminded himself, but couldn't help enjoying the contact. She was soft, smooth, belying the fighter he saw in her when she came to his rescue. A bemused smile touched his lips and he nuzzled her hair.

She froze. He followed suit. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I –

"It's ok." She nuzzled his neck, raising fresh goose bumps which weren't entirely due to the cold. He looked down into her face and she smiled up at him. She's only inches away, he thought to himself. He looked at her lips, full and inviting, somewhat pale from chill. He smiled back at her and mentally steeled himself for the duration of her nearness and the task at hand.

"Tell me about Gentetsu," he said, hoping to distract himself. She tucked her face into his shoulder and cuddled closer. He wrapped his haori around them both and tucked their limbs once more, settling in.

"Gentetsu is a complicated man…and a bit of a perv, to put it lightly. He was forced to live on-the-run by a powerful government official for whom he was a scapegoat when it came out the wife of another powerful official had had an affair."

"And Gentetsu took the blame?"

Violetta nodded, hair brushing beneath his chin. "He couldn't naysay the man and win, he was too politically powerful." Mouse murmured his understanding, breathing in her scent softly. "The more power he gains, the more inconvenient Gentetsu alive becomes. So he posed as a man, calling himself, 'Crow' and hired Gentetsu to lead an attack on a secret delivery of gold. If it gets delivered, a clan will be destroyed by the Shogun. 'Crow' hired Yojimbo to help Gentetsu with the ambush…but really he was hired to kill him."

"Wait, don't you mean 'A yojimbo?'"

"No. He's the classical nameless Ronin. He is simply 'Yojimbo' or whatever other name he makes up when others ask."

"Hmm. So with all of this plotting, what happens?"

Violetta smiled into his shoulder, relishing the warmth of him. "Gentetsu fails. Overcome with despair at his failure, he throws himself from the mountain…above where we are now. I'll have you see the movie sometime. It's a sleeping gem."

"You know its odd having to read all of this, right?"

"Yeah," she laughed softly, "It really is. I'm glad we're not living here."

"There are worse places."

They stood in silence for a moment. Distantly, they heard a woman shriek. Mouse looked up toward the road, and seeing nothing, looked back at Violetta, eyes slightly wider. He furrowed his brow when she showed little response but heightened alertness.

"It's starting," she said, "He'll be here soon."

"What about the screams?"

"Don't worry about them. They're ok. "

Slightly disconcerted by the sounds of shouting above, he squeezed her slightly. "They don't sound okay."

"Hush" She extricated herself from him, reluctant to leave the warmth, and moved to the edge of the copse of pines, readying the rope. Unable to stand feeling useless, Mouse crouched to check everything while he heard distant shouting, arguing and from the opposite direction, what could only be several synchronized footsteps landing heavily.

"It's the baggage porters, delivering the 'gold.'"

The shouting quieted sharply. The silence of the pass was eerie in comparison, the air palpably tense. They saw a few of the baggage porters as the line passed above them. They looked tense, as though expecting trouble. A hard lump grew in Mouse's stomach: he well knew what it felt like to be in their position…and, oddly, the bandits. Neither sat well with him.

An explosion was heard and when they looked, the teahouse had gone up in smoke and flame, debris falling over the side of the mountain. A shout came and not-so-distantly the sound of battle broke out over the pass and echoed through the mountains.

"There's the reveal" she whispered softly.

The battle continued for a few minutes and sooner than Violetta expected, they heard a great shout of "Yojimbo! I'll see you in Hell!" And a man carrying a katana leapt from the cliff.


End file.
